Almond-Crusted Chicken Piccata is the perfect answer to that Whole30 craving for the Italian dish. The almonds add a nice texture and flavor that mimics the toasted breadcrumbs in the classic.
This is something I made before I left that was A: on the lighter side; B: was crispy. C: was FRESH. I’ve been in the mood for not fatty foods, if that makes sense.
I’m currently on Day 19 and feeling like I can’t eat super fatty meats or bacon or any of that. I’ve never been a huge meat-eater so it’s not the easiest for me to eat meat everyday. Yesterday and the day before I just ate vegetables all day and drank a smoothie because sometimes I get sick of eating (if it’s not like pound cake).
How to Make Almond-Crusted Chicken Piccata:
- Make the chicken thinner. Pound out the chicken so it's about ¼" thick, this makes it an even thickness so it cooks evenly with the almond meal.
- Dredge. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then dip it into a beaten egg then into the almond meal and transfer to a plate.
- Cook! Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, cook the chicken in a little bit of olive oil until the chicken is cooked through and the almonds are toasted.
- Make the sauce. In the same pan, melt some ghee and cook the stock and onion, then add the capers, parsley and lemon juice to finish it.
- Serve. Soon some of the sauce over the chicken served with a side potatoes.
What to Serve with Almond-Crusted Chicken Picatta
I like to serve a crispy, bright salad dressed in lemon juice and olive oil. And of course, wine.

Almond-Crusted Chicken Piccata Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cup almond flour or almond meal
- Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ¼ yellow onion minced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
- 3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley + more as garnish
- 2 tablespoons capers
- Juice from 1 lemon + 1 lemon for serving
Instructions
- Place the boneless chicken breasts in between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a mallet or a something heavy (I used a cast iron skillet), pound the chicken until it’s about ¼-inch thick. This will release some stress. It’s good for you. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap and sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl, crack in the egg and whisk. In another plate or shallow bowl, place the almond meal and add ¼ teaspoon salt; mix together. Dip the chicken in the egg, allowing any excess to run off, and then proceed by coating it in the almond meal. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts or thighs.
- In a medium skillet or saute pan, set over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken (you may need to cook this in batches depending on the size of your pan). Cook the chicken on its first side for 3 to 4 minutes, flip and then cook on the opposite side for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside. (You may need to take a paper towel and clean the pan in between batches.)
- In the same clean-ish pan (I used a paper towel to clean any bits of almond flour out), add a tablespoon of ghee. When melted, pour in the chicken stock, yellow onion, a few pinches of salt and crushed red pepper; cook until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Italian parsley, capers and lemon juice. Ladle over the chicken and serve alongside some warm potatoes. Garnish with lemon wedges (I placed mine over my stove-top range to get a bit of color!).
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this Almond-Crusted Chicken Piccata? Let me know on Instagram!
Looking for more chicken recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
djpunjab says
true story: i’ve never known what a chicken piccata was until now… and now i have to have this for dinner tonight.
djpunjab says
Looks great! But where are the artichokes in the recipie? Just add them to the sauce?
Chris Jacobs says
This recipe looks amazing. Like previous comments, I'd like to know about the artichokes.
Olga Morselli says
Delicious recipe! Grazie. For a lighter chicken, rather than frying the cutlets, I baked them in a 180C oven for about 15 minutes until crisp and brown...it worked perfectly. You don't have to worry about cleaning out the pan. Follow from part 4 of the recipe, and it works perfectly. From the foto it looks as if the artichokes are more of a side dish? Still, they are mentioned early on by Adrianna as being in the recipe!! Ciao from Chianti!
Rachel says
Looks great! But where are the artichokes in the recipie? Just add them to the sauce?
Joanna Hawley says
true story: i've never known what a chicken piccata was until now... and now i have to have this for dinner tonight.
Sabrina B says
beautiful photography that is making me hungry, thank you for this recipe, love the healthier components here and very savory with nice touch of capers!
youthfoodblog says
This is so enticing. Thanks for sharing!
Jessica says
Ugh yes! I'm not a meat fan either so I also get sick of eating meat all the time on whole 30! I usually gorge on roasted veggies with a sprinkling of nuts mixed pre-roast during the day while my husband is at work and won't complain about no meat. Haha
Michelle says
That cutlery though. Swoon!
All those insta stories of Amelia in the snow are the best.
Belinda says
Yum. I'm vegetarian so I'm thinking this might work with a portabello mushroom or slab of haloumi.
heather (delicious not gorgeous) says
ooh yes that lemon/caper sauce sounds super fresh! hope big bear is amazing, even if it's a bit snowy (:
Rachael says
This sounds so delicious and looks amazing!
Rachael xx.
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